1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to sheaths and more particularly to a wire sheath for preventing entanglement of the wire.
2. Background of the Invention
The use of headphones has substantially increased in recent years, primarily as a result of the cell telephones, MP3 players and the like. As the design of headphones has evolved, they have become lighter and less restrictive to the user. Reducing the bulk of the headphone and more particularly, reducing the interconnecting wire size has resulted in headphones that are lighter and easier for the user to wear for longer periods of time. In an effort to provide more unrestricted mobility between the user and the source device, longer interconnecting wires have been employed. The combination of length and reduced interconnecting wire size has resulted in wires that are frequently twisted and intertwined in a tangle. This problem continues to serves as an annoyance and hazard to the user.
Although many of the devices of the prior art have improved the art, none have completely solved the problems associated with personal headphones and in particular personal headphone cords. The following U.S. Patents and applications are attempts of the prior art to address the needs of the art.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,770,332 to M. Pomerantz discloses a coiled line tangle inhibitor which comprises a flexible sheath that encases a relatively loosely coiled line to prevent it from tangling with itself as well as tangling with adjacent lines, which also would be sheathed by this invention. The sheath, although very flexible to allow free movement of the coiled line and any attached tool, has sufficient stiffness and diameter so that the coiled line can slide through an open end of the sheath with ease, but without self-meshing, as the line is extended and retracts in normal use.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,233,345 to P. Urwyler discloses a personal earphone assembly comprised of a flexible, elongate tube having open ends and a central lumen therethrough. Earphones are disposed at each open end of the tube, each earphone having a neck projecting therefrom and a wire passing from the neck, through the lumen, to a central aperture in the tube. In a stereophonic embodiment, the earphone wires run parallel from the central lateral aperture to a plug adapted to engage a stereo jack on a signal source. In a monaural embodiment, the earphone wires join a single double-strand lead to a mono jack. Lateral slits are provided adjacent the open ends of the tube for receipt of the temple ends of a pair of eyeglasses. The portions of the tube between the lateral apertures and the open ends wrap over and around the forward portions of a user's ear, and the earphones lodge in the outer ear canal. The assembly may also be worn without eyeglasses. In an alternative embodiment, a bead slidingly mounted on a doubled portion of the tube allows adjustment for a snug fit.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,235,990 to J. Morris et al. discloses a convenient compact telephone cord with a special coil diameter and a much smaller relaxed retracted length reducing sagging, occupies less space, and is much more attractive than conventional saggy telephone cords. The user-friendly high performance telephone cord has a core of electrical conductors which are insulated by primary insulation and are encased within an insulating jacket to meet or exceed national and international telephone standards and requirements. In the preferred form, the primary insulation comprises polypropylene and the insulating jacket comprises polyurethane and most preferably a blend of polyurethane and ethylene vinyl acetate. Desirably, the telephone cord comprises a modular retractile telephone cord with at least one modular plug. The attractive space-saving telephone cord can be used with handsets, headsets, vehicle phones, modems, and computers.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,690,808 to P. Urwyler discloses a personal earphone assembly comprised of a flexible, elongate tube having open ends and a central lumen therethrough. Earphones are disposed at each open end of the tube, each earphone having a neck projecting therefrom and a wire passing from the neck, through the lumen, to a central aperture in the tube. In a stereophonic embodiment, the earphone wires run parallel from the central lateral aperture to a plug adapted to engage a stereo jack on a signal source. In a monaural embodiment, the earphone wires join a single double-strand lead to a mono jack. Lateral slits are provided adjacent the open ends of the tube for receipt of the temple ends of a pair of eyeglasses. The portions of the tube between the lateral apertures and the open ends wrap over and around the forward portions of a user's ear, and the earphones lodge in the outer ear canal. The assembly may also be worn without eyeglasses. In an alternative embodiment, a bead slidingly mounted on a doubled portion of the tube allows adjustment for a snug fit. In yet another embodiment, the end portions of the elongate tube have a memory wire disposed therein, for bending the end portions into a configuration for optimally fitting the earphones within the outer ear canal of a user.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,202,414 to J. Johnson discloses an apparatus and method according to which a line extends through a sleeve so that a first amount of the line is disposed within the sleeve. After stretching and permitting the sleeve to retract, a second amount of the line is disposed within the sleeve, with the second amount being greater than the first amount. United States Patent Application 2001/0010727 to P. Urwyler discloses a personal earphone assembly comprised of a flexible, elongate tube having open ends and a central lumen therethrough. Earphones are disposed at each open end of the tube, each earphone having a neck projecting therefrom and a wire passing from the neck, through the lumen, to a central aperture in the tube. In a stereophonic embodiment, the earphone wires run parallel from the central lateral aperture to a plug adapted to engage a stereo jack on a signal source. In a monaural embodiment, the earphone wires join a single double-strand lead to a mono jack. Lateral slits are provided adjacent the open ends of the tube for receipt of the temple ends of a pair of eyeglasses. The portions of the tube between the lateral apertures and the open ends wrap over and around the forward portions of a user's ear, and the earphones lodge in the outer ear canal. The assembly may also be worn without eyeglasses. In an alternative embodiment, a bead slidingly mounted on a doubled portion of the tube allows adjustment for a snug fit. In yet another embodiment, the end portions of the elongate tube have a memory wire disposed therein, for bending the end portions into a configuration for optimally fitting the earphones within the outer ear canal of a user.
United States Patent Application 2006/0185873 to J. Johnson discloses an apparatus and method according to which a line extends through a sleeve so that a first amount of the line is disposed within the sleeve. After stretching and permitting the sleeve to retract, a second amount of the line is disposed within the sleeve, with the second amount being greater than the first amount.
Although the aforementioned prior art have contributed to the development of the art of personal headphones, none of these prior art patents have solved the needs of this art.
Therefore, it is an object of the present invention to provide an improved tubular cover for personal headphone wires.
Another object of this invention is to provide an improved tubular cover for personal headphone wires having a retaining device to prevent slippage of the cover on the headphone wires.
Another object of this invention is to provide an improved tubular cover for personal headphone wires that is simple to install.
The foregoing has outlined some of the more pertinent objects of the present invention. These objects should be construed as being merely illustrative of some of the more prominent features and applications of the invention. Many other beneficial results can be obtained by modifying the invention within the scope of the invention. Accordingly other objects in a full understanding of the invention may be had by referring to the summary of the invention, the detailed description describing the preferred embodiment in addition to the scope of the invention defined by the claims taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.